PNIVEB8ITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PUBLICATIONS 

COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


THE  SEEDLESS  RAISIN  GRAPES 


BY 
FREDERIC  T.  BIOLETTI 


BULLETIN  No.  298 

September,  1918 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 
BERKELEY 
1918 


Benjamin  Ide  Wheeler,  President  of  the  University. 

EXPEEIMENT  STATION  STAFF 
HEADS  of  divisions 

Thomas  Forsyth  Hunt,  Director. 

Edward  J.  Wickson,  Horticulture    (Emeritus). 

Herbert  J.  Webber,  Director  Citrus  Experiment  Station ;  Plant  Breeding 

Hubert  E.  Van  Norman,  Vice-Director;  Dairy  Management. 

William  A.  Setchell,  Botany. 

Myer  E.  Jaffa,  Nutrition. 

Charles  W.  Woodworth,  Entomology. 

Balph  E.  Smith,  Plant  Pathology. 

J.  Eliot  Coit,  Citriculture. 

John  W.  Gilmore,  Agronomy. 

Charles  F.  Shaw,  Soil  Technology. 

John  W.  Gregg,  Landscape  Gardening  and  Floriculture. 

Frederic  T.  Bioletti,  Viticulture  and  Enology. 

Warren  T.  Clarke,  Agricultural  Extension. 

John  S.  Burd,  Agricultural  Chemistry. 

Charles  B.  Lipman,  Soil  Chemistry  and  Bacteriology. 
{Clarence  M.  Haring,  Veterinary  Science  and  Bacteriology. 

Ernest  B.  Babcock,  Genetics. 

Gordon  H.  True,  Animal  Husbandry. 

James  T.  Barrett,  Plant  Pathology. 

Fritz  W.  Woll,  Animal  Nutrition. 

Walter  Mulford,  Forestry. 

W.  P.  Kelley,  Agricultural  Chemistry. 

H.  J.  Quayle,  Entomology. 

Elwood  Mead,  Rural  Institutions. 

J.  B.  Davidson,  Agricultural  Engineering. 

H.  S.  Reed,  Plant  Physiology. 
ID.  T.  Mason,  Forestry. 

C.  L.  Roadhouse,  Dairy  Industry. 
tFRANK  Adams,  Irrigation  Investigations. 

James  C.  Whitten,  Pomology. 

O.  J.  Kern,  Agricultural  Education. 

John  E.  Dougherty,  Poultry  Husbandry. 

S.  S.  Rogers,  Olericulture. 

J.  G.  Moodey,  Assistant  to  the  Director. 

Mrs.  D.  L.  Bunnell,  Librarian. 


DIVISION  OF  VITICULTURE  AND  ENOLOGY 

Frederic  T.  Bioletti  W.  V.  Cruess 

F.  C.  H.  Flossfeder  A.  E.  Way 

G.  Barovetto 


t  In  co-operation  with  office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering,  U.   S. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 
t  In  military  service. 


THE  SEEDLESS  RAISIN  GRAPES 

By  FREDERIC  T.   BIOLETTI 


INTRODUCTION 

Types  of  Raisins. — The  raisins  of  the  world  are  of  four  main 
types:  (1)  of  large  size,  made  principally  from  the  Muscat  of  Alex- 
andria grape  and  known  generally  as  Muscat  or  Malaga  raisins;  (2) 
of  medium  size,  light  colored  and  seedless,  made  principally  from  the 
Sultanina  grape  and  known  generally  as  Sultana  raisins;  (3)  of  small 
size,  dark  colored  and  seedless,  made  principally  from  the  Black 
Corinth  grape  and  known  in  English  as  Currants;  (4)  of  various  sizes, 
colors  and  qualities  and  made  from  almost  any  vinifera  varieties  and 
usually  known  as  Dried  Grapes.  The  last  are  not  usually  classified 
as  raisins.  There  are  numerous  subdivisions  and  modifications  of 
these  types.  This  publication  deals  with  the  second  and  the  third 
types. 

Statistics. — The  principal  raisin-producing  countries  of  the  world 
are  Greece,  California,  Turkey,  Spain,  and  Australia.  Their  com- 
parative importance  is  shown  by  the  following  figures  •} 

World's  Production  of  Eaisins  in  1913 

Per  cent 
Principal  types  Country  Tons  of  total 

Muscats  and  Sultanas  California  65,000  22 

Currants  Greece  180,000  60 

Sultanas  Turkey    23,000  8 

Muscats  Spain  20,000  7 

Muscats  and  Currants  Australia    14,000  5 

The  California  crop  increased  from  40,000  to  128,000  tons  (220 
per  cent)  between  1904  and  1915.  During  the  same  period,  the  crop 
of  Australia  increased  136  per  cent,  while  that  of  Spain  decreased 
26  per  cent.  Those  of  Turkey  and  Greece  were  practically  stationary. 
In  1916,  California  produced  about  one-half  the  raisins  of  the  world. 

Kinds  of  Raisins  in  California. — The  raisin  crop  of  California  in 
1916  was  as  follows : 

Muscats  89,000  tons  =  67.4% 

[Thompson's   23,500  tons 

*Sultanas  \  Sultanas,  seedless  7,000  tons 

I  Bleached  7,000  tons 

37,500  tons  =  28.4% 

Dried  Grapes  5,500  tons  =     4.2% 

Total    132,000  tons  =100.0% 

*  These  include  the  dried  Sultanina   (Thompson)   and  Sultana  grapes. 

i  All  statistics  are  quoted  or  calculated  from  those  given  by  George  Robertson 
in  the  Statistical  Report  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  for  1916. 


76  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Comparison  of  Muscat  and  Seedless  Eaisin  Crops  in  California 

Muscats  Sultanas 


Year 

Tons 

Per  cent 

Tons                   Per  cent 

1913  

49,294 

76.3 

15,322                 23.7 

1914 

60,000 

69.0 

27,000                 31.0 

1915 

78,123 

82.0 

17,260                 18.0 

1916 

89,000 

70.4 

37,500                 29,6 

Mean 

ratio 

,  74.4 

Mean  ratio,  25.6 

There  is  no  confirmation  here  of  the  commonly  expressed  opinion 
that  the  crop  of  seedless  raisins  has  been  increasing  much  more  rapidly 
than  that  of  the  Muscat  raisins.  Approximately  one-quarter  of  the 
total  crop  is  of  Sultana  type  and  three-quarters  of  Muscat  type. 
Probably  the  influence  of  the  large  plantings  of  Sultanina  which  have 
undoubtedly  been  made  during  recent  years  will  be  evident  in  future 
crops. 

VARIETIES 

Seedless  raisins  are  made  from  four  varieties  of  seedless  grapes : 
Sultanina,  Sultana,  Black  Corinth,  and  White  Corinth.  Other  seedless 
or  nearly  seedless  grapes  are  grown  as  table  grapes  and  might  be  used 
for  making  seedless  raisins  but  for  the  superiority  of  the  varieties 
mentioned.  These  other  varieties  are :  the  Rose  Sultanina,  the  Giant 
Sultanina,  and  the  Black  Monukka.  Seedless  raisins  of  a  type  peculiar 
to  California  are  also  made  from  the  abortive,  seedless  berries  ('''shot 
grapes")  which  occur  commonly  on  the  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and 
which  are  separated  in  the  cleaning  and  grading  of  Muscat  raisins. 

The  various  seedless  grapes  and  their  uses  are  shown  in  the  follow- 
ing table : 

Seedless  Grapes  and  Their  Uses 
Name  of  grape:  Use: 

Sultanina  Sultanas  of  commerce 

Sultanina,  Rose  Table  grape 

Sultanina,  Giant  Curiosity  of  collections 

Sultana  Inferior  Sultanas  of  commerce 

Black  Corinth  •  Currants 

White  Corinth  Inferior  currants 

Black  Monukka  Table  grape 

Muscat  ("shot  grapes")  Seedless  muscats 

Sultanina. — Synonyms:  Thompson,  Thompson's  Seedless  (in  Cali- 
fornia), Lady  de  Coverly  (English  hot-houses),  Sultanieh,  Oval- 
fruited  Kishmish  (Turkey,  Palestine).  This  variety  is  grown  in  col- 
lections or  in  small  quantities  as  a  table  grape  throughout  the  Mediter- 


THE  SEEDLESS   RAISIN   GRAPES  77 

ranean  region.  It  is  grown  largely  in  the  Levant,  more  particularly 
in  the  warmer  parts  of  Asia  Minor,  as  a  raisin  grape.  It  appears  to 
be  widely  distributed  in  Asia  as  far  east  as  Persia  and  probably 
beyond.    From  it  are  made  the  genuine  Sultana  raisins  of  Smyrna. 

It  was  brought  to  California  in  1872  by  Wm.  Thompson,  Sr.,  of 
Sutter  County,  who  obtained  it  from  Ellwanger  and  Barry  of  Roches- 
ter, New  York,  under  the  name  of  Lady  de  Coverley,  a  name  by  which 
it  is  known  in  English  hot-houses.  It  was  distributed  here  under 
the  name  of  Thompson's  Seedless  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Seedless 
Sultana,  a  grape  grown  more  sparingly  in  the  same  Asiatic  regions. 
Its  name  of  Sultanina,  by  which  it  is  known  in  most  countries,  or 
Sultanieh,  as  it  is  sometimes  spelled,  is  derived  from  the  town  of 
Soultanieh  in  Persia. 

Mr.  Thompson  deserved  great  credit  for  having  introduced  this 
valuable  grape  into  California,  but  it  seems  hardly  necessary  or  desir- 
able to  change  the  euphonious  and  appropriate  name  by  which  it  has 
been  known  in  most  of  the  regions  where  it  has  been  grown  probably 
for  hundreds  of  years. 

The  vine  is  remarkably  vigorous,  producing  canes  in  rich  soil  often 
30  feet  long.  These  canes  are  often  comparatively  thin  and  slightly 
flattened  for  a  foot  or  so  near  the  trunk  and  become  rounded  and 
much  thicker  in  their  middle  portion.  The  joints  are  very  long,  and 
strong  laterals  are  produced  abundantly,  especially  when  the  growing 
shoots  are  pinched  or  topped. 

The  bunches  are  very  large,  conical,  and  usually  well  filled.  The 
berries  are  oval,  yellow,  and  small  to  under  medium  in  size.  They 
are  perfectly  seedless,  without  marked  flavor,  and  low  in  acidity. 

Rose  Sultanina. — Synonym  :  Sultanina  Rosea.  This  is  a  mere  color 
variation  of  the  last  with  which  it  is  identical  in  all  respects  but  the 
color  of  the  fruit.  It  was  imported  from  Italy  by  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture  in  1900.  It  is  numbered  5616  (3921)  in 
the  list  of  plant  introductions  published  by  the  Department.  It  is 
known  in  European  vine  collections  and  appears  to  have  been  brought 
to  Europe  from  some  part  of  Anatolia  (Asia  Minor). 

Raisins  have  been  made  from  it,  but  they  are  inferior  in  color  to 
those  made  from  the  ordinary  or  white  Sultanina.  As  a  table  grape, 
it  is  very  attractive  when  it  attains  its  full,  bright  rose  color.  In  the 
hotter  regions  of  the  state,  as  in  Imperial,  Fresno,  and  Yolo  counties, 
it  remains  white  or  only  faintly  pink  and  is  less  attractive  in  appear- 
ance than  the  ordinary  form.  It  develops  a  most  brilliant  color  in 
Sonoma  County  and  probably  would  do  so  in  any  of  the  cooler  grape- 
growing  regions. 


78  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Giant  Sultanina. — Occasionally,  a  vine  of  Sultanina  is  found  show- 
ing a  remarkable  hypertrophy  of  all  its  parts.  The  berries  are  round 
and  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  Muscat.  The  peduncles,  canes,  joints, 
pith,  and  leaves  also  show  this  enlargement.  Vines  obtained  by  graft- 
ing or  rooting  cuttings  from  this  form  retain  its  peculiarities.  The 
vine  appears  to  be  a  bud  sport  showing  the  characteristics  of  what  the 
biologists  call  "gigantism."  No  indications  have  been  found  as  to 
whether  all  the  vines  originated  from  a  single  parent  vine  or  whether 
they  had  independent  origins.  All  the  specimens  seen  seem  to  be 
identical  in  their  characters. 

It  is  possible  that  this  vine  has  given  rise  to  the  legend  of  a  seedless 
Muscat.  It  has,  however,  none  of  the  flavor  or  other  characteristics 
of  the  Muscat  and,  in  fact,  in  spite  of  its  marked  peculiarities,  no  one 
familiar  with  varieties  of  vines  would  fail  to  recognize  it  as  a  form  of 
the  Sultanina.  It  is  now  growing  at  the  experiment  vineyard  at 
Davis,  but  the  crops  so  far  have  been  small  and  irregular.  It  appears 
to  lack  vigor  and  is  somewhat  difficult  to  propagate. 

Similar  cases  of  gigantism  have  been  noted  with  Muscat  of  Alex- 
andria, Flame  Tokay,  and  Zinfandel.  It  seems  probable  that  it  is  a 
variation  similar  to  that  of  the  Nectarine  and  that  it  may  occur  with 
any  variety.  All  the  varieties  in  which  it  has  been  noted  are  grown 
in  large  quantities,  which  would  increase  the  chance  of  rinding  a  very 
rare  variation. 

Sultana. — Synonyms:  Seedless  Sultana  (in  California),  round- 
berried  Kishmish  (French  ampelographies).  This  grape  was  intro- 
duced very  early  into  California  by  Mr.  West,  a  Stockton  nurseryman. 
Under  the  mistaken  impression  that  it  was  the  variety  from  which 
the  Sultana  raisins  of  commerce  were  made,  it  was  distributed  under 
this  name.  This  is  unfortunate,  as  the  name  became  fixed  in  popular 
use  here  before  the  Sultanina,  the  real  variety  producing  Sultana 
raisins,  was  introduced. 

The  grape  seems  to  have  been  introduced  into  Europe  from  Asiatic 
Turkey.  In  Turkish  any  seedless  grape  or  raisin  is  called  Kishmish 
and  two  varieties  are  recognized,  the  "round-fruited,"  which  we  call 
the  Sultana,  and  the  "oval-fruited,"  which  is  the  true  Sultanina,  and 
which  we  call  the  Thompson. 

The  vine  resembles  the  Sultanina  in  its  vigor  and  general  aspect. 
It  is  a  little  less  riotous  in  its  growth  and  a  little  more  inclined  to  be 
fruitful,  even  with  defective  pruning. 

The  bunches  are  very  large,  compact,  and  of  a  very  characteristic 
shape.  The  central  part  is  remarkably  long  and  perfectly  cylindrical, 
and  the  upper  part  very  heavily  shouldered.     The  berries  are  wider 


THE   SEEDLESS  RAISIN    GRAPES  79 

than  they  are  long  and  slightly  flattened  at  the  apex.  In  flavor  and 
color,  they  resemble  the  Sultanina,  but  are  inclined  to  have  a  higher 
acidity.    A  seed  is  found  in  an  occasional  berry. 

Black  Corinth. — Synonyms:  Zante  Currant,  Panariti(  ?),  Passerina 
nera  (in  Italy).  This  variety  was  early  introduced  into  California 
and  planted  in  various  places  in  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin 
valleys.  Later  introductions  by  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture  were  widely  distributed.  Unlike  the  Sultanina,  it  was 
never  largely  planted  as  no  one  until  lately  had  been  able  to  make 
it  produce  paying  crops.  By  severe  annual  ringings  of  the  main 
trunk,  it  has  been  made  to  produce  satisfactorily  in  Australia  and 
fair  crops  have  been  obtained  in  the  University  experiment  vineyards 
by  grafting  it  on  resistant  stocks. 

The  vine  is  of  great  vigor  and  the  trunk  will  grow  a  hundred  or 
more  feet  in  length  if  given  the  opportunity.  Under  some  conditions, 
apparently  when  it  is  allowed  to  grow  to  very  large  size,  many  or  most 
of  its  berries  grow  large  and  develop  seeds.  In  such  cases,  it  is  of  no 
value  as  a  raisin  grape.  It  is  from  this  variety  that  the  so-called 
Zante  or  Greek  currants  are  made. 

The  bunches  are  of  medium  size,  compact,  and  cylindrical,  with 
well-marked  shoulders  and  sometimes  winged.  The  berries  are  very 
small,  no  larger  than  elder-berries,  reddish  black,  round,  and  seedless. 
Occasionally  a  berry  containing  seeds  is  found. 

White  Corinth. — Synonym:  Passerina  bianca  (in  Italy).  This 
variety  resembles  the  last  one  in  many  of  its  characteristics.  It  is, 
however,  more  easily  made  to  bear  good  crops  and  several  small  vine- 
yards of  this  variety  have  been  in  existence  in  the  Sacramento  Valley 
for  many  years.  It  will  bear  on  its  own  roots  and  with  the  same  treat- 
ment that  succeeds  with  the  Sultanina. 

The  vine  is  nearly  as  vigorous  as  the  Black  Corinth,  the  leaves  are 
a  little  lighter  in  color,  and  the  fruit  is  white.  The  bunches  are 
medium  or  a  little  larger  than  those  of  the  black  and  more  conical  in 
shape.  The  berries  are  a  little  larger,  intermediate  in  size  between  the 
Black  Corinth  and  the  Sultana.  They  are  rounded  and  slightly  flat- 
tened like  the  latter  variety.  They  lack  the  flavor  and  acidity  of  the 
black.  When  dried,  they  make  an  excellent  currant,  but  not  equal 
to  the  black.  The  dried  fruit  is  intermediate  between  a  currant  and 
a  Sultana  and  while  intrinsically  of  good  quality,  it  must  be  marketed 
as  a  second-grade  currant  or  Sultana. 

Red  Corinth. — Synonym:  Passerina  rosa  (in  Italy).  This  variety 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  introduced  into  California.  Some  vines 
called  by  this  name  are  simply  Black  Corinth,  which,  owing  to 
peculiarities  of  local  soil  or  climate,  do  not  develop  their  full  color. 


80  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Black  Monukka. — This  is  a  recent  introduction  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  According  to  A.  F.  Barron,  it  came 
originally  from  India.  It  is  the  largest  of  the  group,  but  is  not  per- 
fectly seedless.  It  is.  an  excellent  table  grape  and  will  probably  ship 
well.    It  is  not  promising  as  a  raisin  grape. 

Seedless  Muscat. — There  have  been  rumors  for  many  years  that  a 
large  seedless  Muscat  is  grown  in  Chile,  but  no  one  has  been  able  to 
obtain  any  for  California.  It  is  not  likely  that  such  a  variety  exists. 
A  seedless  grape  is  a  defective  grape,  that  is,  one  which  has  not  devel- 
oped the  physiologically  essential  part  of  the  fruit,  the  seed,  and  this 
defect  seems  to  be  correlated  with  small  size.  The  seedless  Muscats 
are  grapes  which  have  been  imperfectly  pollenized,  and  in  some 
seasons  they  occur  in  large  numbers  on  most  bunches,  but  it  is  rare 
that  they  constitute  all  the  berries  of  a  bunch.  This  condition  is 
called  by  French  grape  growers  "millerandage"  and  by  California 
grape  growers  "shot  grapes."  It  occurs  sometimes  with  nearly  all 
varieties.  ,    , 

LOCATION   AND   SOIL 

Location. — The  present  location  of  the  vineyards  of  seedless  raisin 
grapes  is  indicated  by  the  returns  of  raisins  in  1916  from  the  various 
counties : 

Distribution  of  Crop  of  Sultana  Eaisins*  in  1916 

Per  cent  of  total  crop 

Fresno  County  73.2 

Tulare  County   10.8 

Kings  County  1.7 

Merced  County  .4 

Madera  County .3 

Kern  County  .1 

Stanislaus  County  .1 

San   Joaquin   Valley 86.(5 

Sutter  County  10.5 

Yolo  County  2.7 

Sacramento  Valley  13.2 

Southern  California  .2 

100.0 

*  Where  the  expression  "Sultana  raisins"  occurs  without  qualification,  it 
includes  all  of  what  are  commonly  known  in  California  as  "Thompson  and  Seed- 
less Sultanas. ' ' 


THE  SEEDLESS  RAISIN   GRAPES  81 

Nearly  nine-tenths  of  the  seedless  raisins  of  California  are  pro- 
duced in  the  upper  San  Joaquin  Valley,  where  the  soil  and  climate 
are  particularly  suitable.  The  vines  grow  and  bear  as  well  in  several 
other  districts,  but  the  conditions  for  raisin  making  are  not  quite  so 
favorable.  In  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  62  per  cent  of  the  seedless 
grapes  are  Sultanina,  in  the  Sacramento  Valley,  84  per  cent.  In 
Yolo  County,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sacramento  River,  only  20  per 
cent  are  Sultanina  and  the  rest  Sultana,  while  in  Sutter  County  on 
the  east  side,  the  proportion  of  Sultanina  is  over  99  per  cent.  These 
differences  are  probably  not  due  to  any  differences  of  adaptation  of 
the  two  varieties  to  the  various  localities,  but  rather  to  accidental 
historical  causes  related  to  the  first  plantings.  Both  varieties  seem 
to  do  equally  well  in  all  these  localities  when  given  proper  treatment. 

In  southern  California,  the  Sultana  is  grown  almost  exclusively 
as  a  seedless  raisin  grape.  The  Sultanina  has  not  given  such  good 
results,  perhaps  owing  to  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  how  to  prune  it. 

In  all  the  counties  where  seedless  raisins  are  produced,  and  in  other 
counties,  some  Sultanina  grapes  are  shipped  and  marketed  fresh  as 
table  grapes.  Imperial  County  in  particular  ships  a  large  quantity 
very  early  in  the  season. 

The  White  Corinth  is  grown  only  in  a  few  small  vinegards  in 
Placer  County.  The  other  seedless  grapes  are  not  grown  anywhere 
in  California  in  commercial  quantities. 

In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  any  of  the  seedless  grapes  can  be 
grown  in  the  various  grape-growing  districts  of  California,  but  they 
bear  better  in  the  warmer  parts.  For  raisin  making,  they  must  be 
grown  in  the  raisin  districts  where  they  ripen  early.  For  table  grapes 
only  the  Sultaninas  and  the  Black  Monukka  are  suitable.  The  White 
Sultanina  is  suited  for  the  interior  and  warmer  sections  and  the  Rose 
Sultanina  for  the  coast  counties.  The  best  region  for  the  Monukka  is 
not  known,  but  it  is  probably  adapted  to  a  warm  climate.  The 
Corinths  are  useful  only  as  raisin  grapes  and  must  therefore  be 
grown  where  drying  conditions  are  favorable.  They  ripen  about  three 
weeks  earlier  than  the  Sultanina  and  therefore  may  be  useful  in 
districts  too  late  for  the  latter. 

Soils. — Owing  to  their  great  vigor,  the  Sultanina  and  Sultana  will 
give  paying  crops  on  light  sandy  soils  where  most  other  varieties  fail. 
They  will  give  larger  crops,  however,  on  better  soils  and  it  is  unsafe 
to  plant  them  where  the  crops  are  likely  to  be  less  than  the  average. 
While  prices  are  high,  such  crops  may  be  profitable,  but  when  prices 
fall  they  can  not  compete  with  heavier  crops  from  better  soil. 

The  adaptation  of  the  Corinth  grapes  is  not  well  known.     It  is 


82  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

probably  similar  to  that  of  the  Sultanina.  The  extreme  vigor  of  the 
Black  Corinth  and  its  failure  to  set  its  grapes  in  rich  soil  indicate 
that  it  might  do  well  in  soils  too  poor  for  most  varieties.  This,  how- 
ever, can  be  determined  only  by  trial. 

PLANTING   THE   VINEYARD 

Preparation  of  the  Ground. — The  best  results  can  be  obtained  with 
vines  only  if  the  ground  is  properly  prepared  before  planting.  The 
seedless  vines  are  not  exceptions  to  this  rule.  The  ground  should  be 
cleared  of  stumps  and  rocks,  properly  levelled,  especially  where  irri- 
gation is  to  be  practised,  and  plowed  as  deep  as  is  practicable,  at 
least  ten  inches.  Any  troublesome  weeds,  such  as  Morning  Glory, 
Johnson  grass  or  Bermuda  grass  should  be  eradicated  before  planting. 
Hardpan  within  three  feet  should  be  blasted  at  every  point  where  a 
vine  is  to  be  planted.  A  few  years  as  an  alfalfa  field  is  an  excellent 
preparation.  In  irrigated  districts,  a  crop  of  cow-peas  or  similar 
leguminous  crop  grown  in  the  summer  and  plowed  in  deep  during 
the  autumn  prepares  the  soil  perfectly  for  planting  during  the  follow- 
ing spring. 

Planting  Stock. — For  planting,  cuttings,  rooted  vines,  or  bench- 
grafts  may  be  used. 

Cuttings  are  almost  as  good  as  rooted  vines  if  they  can  be  made 
to  grow  during  the  first  year.  The  Sultanina,  however,  is  rather  hard 
to  root  and  many  usually  fail  during  the  first  year.  The  result  is 
that  much  replanting  is  necessary,  the  vines  are  uneven  in  size,  the 
vineyard  is  slower  coming  to  full  bearing,  and  the  cost  in  the  end  may 
be  as  large  or  larger  than  when  rooted  vines  are  used.  The  best 
cuttings  are  those  of  medium  size  with  fairly  close  joints.  Well-grown 
laterals  of  the  Sultanina  often  make  the  best  cuttings.  The  other 
varieties  root  more  easily.  In  most  cases,  it  is  best  to  use  one-year-old 
rooted  vines  of  moderate  size.  If  of  good  quality  and  properly 
handled,  practically  every  one  will  grow  the  first  year  and  a  full 
crop  may  be  obtained  the  third  or  fourth  season  following  planting. 

In  districts  infested  with  phylloxera,  bench-grafts  on  resistant 
stock  must  be  used.  These  are  more  expensive,  but  are  the  only  known 
defense  against  the  pest.  The  extra  cost  is  in  part  counterbalanced 
by  the  fact  that  the  vines  on  resistant  stocks  bear  earlier  and  perhaps 
better  than  on  their  own  roots.  Many  varieties  of  resistant  stocks 
have  been  tested  at  Kearney  and  Davis.  All  have  given  good  to  very 
good  results  with  the  Sultanina  and  Sultana.  The  Corinths  seem 
to  be  more  difficult  to  please  and  the  other  varieties  have  not  been 
very  thoroughly  tested. 


THE  SEEDLESS  RAISIN   GRAPES  83 

With  the  Sultanina,  the  Riparia  X  Rupestris  hybrids  101-14, 
3306,  3309,  have  given  the  best  results,  and  St.  George  has  done  fairly 
well.  The  Sultana  has  yielded  best  on  1202,  though  all  other  stocks 
have  given  good  crops.  The  Black  Corinth  has  done  best  on  3306, 
41b  and  Riparia  Gloire.  It  has  failed  to  grow  on  420a,  for  which 
apparently  the  affinity  is  defective.  The  White  Corinth  has  given  its 
largest  crops  on  3306.  Both  Corinth  grapes  have  done  poorly  on 
St.  George. 

Laying  out  the  Vineyard. — In  laying  out  the  vineyard,  two  points 
have  to  be  determined:  (1)  the  area  to  be  given  to  each  vine,  and 
(2)  the  arrangement  of  the  vines. 

As  all  seedless  vines  are  vigorous  growers,  they  require  abundant 
room.  If  crowded,  they  may  give  a  little  more  in  the  first  one  or  two 
crops,  but  the  yield  will  be  less  later  and  the  cost  of  handling  greater. 
The  appropriate  space  for  each  vine  will  vary  from  about  seventy 
square  feet  to  about  a  hundred  and  thirty,  according  to  the  variety 
and  the  soil.  The  Sultana  may  be  planted  a  little  closer  than  the 
others  without  injury.  In  rich  deep  soil  where  the  vines  will  be 
exceptionally  vigorous,  they  must  be  given  more  room ;  in  sandy, 
shallow,  or  poor  soil,  they  may  be  placed  closer. 

As  all  these  varieties  require  long  pruning  and  trellising,  the 
vineyard  should  be  laid  out  on  the  avenue  system.  The  following 
table  gives  the  arrangements  and  distances  which  are  recommended : 

Arrangement  and  Distances  for  Seedless  Vines 

Rich  soil  Poor  Soil* 

A ^__„ A 

Distances,  Area,  Vines  Distances,  Area,  Vines 

Variety  ft.  sq.  ft.  per  acre  ft.  sq.  ft.  per  acre 

Sultana  14  X  6  84  518  12  X  6  72  605 

Sultanina    14  X  8  112  444  12  X  6  72  605 

Corinth    16  X  8  128  340  12  X  6  72  605 

*  The  word  "poor"  is  used  relatively.  An  infertile  soil  should  not  be  used 
for  vines  of  any  kind. 

Intermediate  distances  may  be  adopted  for  intermediate  cases. 
The  distance  apart  of  the  vines  in  the  row  should  in  no  case  be  less 
than  six  feet,  as  this  is  the  minimum  that  will  give  room  for  the 
necessary  three  and  four-foot  fruit  canes.  The  rows  should  in  no 
case  be  nearer  than  twelve  feet,  as  this  is  the  minimum  that  will 
allow  of  inexpensive  and  efficient  cultivation.  It  is  better  to  err  on 
the  side  of  wide  planting  than  of  narrow,  for  there  is  no  practical 
limit  to  the  size  these  vines  can  be  made  to  grow  except  the  difficulty 
of  supporting  them ;  a  large  vine  will  bear  at  least  as  much  as  two 
vines  of  half  the  size  and  will  be  less  costly  to  prune  and  cultivate. 


84  UNIVERSITY    OP    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

COST  AND   RETURNS 

It  may  be  estimated  roughly  that  the  expenses  of  a  vineyard  of 
seedless  raisin  grapes,  Sultanina,  Sultana  or  Corinth,  properly 
managed  will  amount,  on  the  average,  to  about  $95  per  acre.  This 
includes  vineyard  work,  drying  and  delivering  the  crop,  water,  taxes, 
depreciation,  and  6  per  cent  interest  on  an  investment  of  $350  per 
acre,  and  is  based  on  a  crop  of  IV2  tons  of  raisins,  which  is  about  the 
average.  This  indicates  that  a  price  of  3  cents  per  pound  will  just 
cover  the  expenses  of  the  average  vineyard  and  allow  6  per  cent  inter- 
est on  a  moderate  valuation  of  the  property.  It  allows  nothing  for 
superintendence. 

A  price  of  5  cents  per  pound  for  the  raisins  would  yield  a  profit 
of  $55  per  acre  and  a  crop  of  three  tons  a  profit  of  $60.  If  both  price 
and  crop  were  increased  in  these  proportions,  the  profit  would  be  $180 
per  acre.  '     '^JI 

These  calculations  are  based  on  the  following  estimates : 

Estimated  Cost  of  a  Vineyard  of  Seedless  Grape  Vines 
(Good  level  land,  irrigation,*  resistant  vines,  trellis) 

Land  _ $200.00 

Bench  grafts   (500) 30.00 

Preparation  of  land 15.00 

Planting 10.00 

Cultivating    5.00 

Interest  and  taxes 15.00 

Cost  the   first  year $275.00 

Pruning 3.00 

Staking    10.00 

Eeplanting 5.00 

Cultivation 5.00 

Hand  work 10.00 

Interest  and  taxes 22.00 

Cost  the  second  year 55.00 

Pruning  5.00 

Cultivation  _ 5.00 

Hand  work 10.00 

Trellising  55.00 

Interest  and  taxes 25.00 

Gross  cost,  third  year $100.00 

Crop,  one  ton  at  4  cents  net ...' 80.00 

Net  cost,  third  year .' : 20.00 

Total  cost  : $350.00 

*  The  cost  of  irrigation  is  not  included,  as  it  varies  too  widely.  It  will  range 
from  $2.50  to  $15.00  per  acre  per  year. 


THE  SEEDLESS  RAISIN   GRAPES  85 

Estimated  Profit  of  Sultanina  Vineyard 

(Valuation  of  $350) 

Annual  cost  of  maintenance: 

Pruning    and    tying $12.50 

Plowing  and  cultivating 7.50 

Hand  work 10.00 


Vineyard  work   $30.00 

Interest  and  taxes  $28.00 

Depreciation  10.00 


Fixed  charges  38.00 


Total  $68.00 

Harvesting,  drying,  and  hauling  raisins,  per  ton 17.50 

Profit  per  acre  at  5  cents  per  pound: 

Crop,  Gross  Net 

pounds  returns  Cost  returns 

2,000 $100.00  $85.50  $14.50 

3,000 150.00  94.25  55.75 

4,000 200.00  103.00  97.00 

5,000 250.00  111.75  138.25 

6,000 300.00  120.50  179.50 

While  these  estimates  are  based  on  actual  accounts  and  returns 
from  vineyards,  they  must  be  considered  as  simply  indicating  the 
probabilities.  The  investment,  the  cost  of  maintenance,  the  cost  of 
drying,  the  amount  and  price  of  the  crop,  will  all  vary  within  wide 
limits.  Those  given  must  be  considered  only  as  average  figures  and 
refer  more  particularly  to  the  Fresno  region.  -.•■"> 

As  iy2  tons  per  acre  is  the  average  crop  of  Sultanina  vineyards  in 
California,  they  indicate  that  at  5  cents  per  pound  for  the  raisins  the 
vineyards  are  fairly  profitable.  Many  vineyards  produce  less  than  a 
ton  and  can  not  be  considered  profitable.  Others  produce  two  tons 
and.- are  very  profitable. 

Sultana  vineyards  are,  on  the  whole,  a  little  more  productive,  but 
the  price  of  the  raisins  is  somewhat  lower. 

There  are  little  accurate  data  On  the  yield  of  the' White  Corinth, 
and  the  Black  Corinth  is  generally  noted  as  a  failure  except  on  resist- 
ant roots.  -] 

An  idea  of  the  possibilities  of  crop  in  good  soil  and  with  proper 
care  is  given  by  the  record  of  the  experiment  vineyards  at  Kearney 
and  Davis. 


86 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Yields  of  Seedless  Vines 

at  the  Experiment 

Vineyards 

(In 

pounds  ol 

:  raisins  per 
Number 

acre ) 
Age 

Variety 

Locality 

of  vines 

of  vines 

Year 

Crop 

Sultanina 

Davis 

192 

5 

1915 

2,500 

Sultanina 

Davis 

144 

6 

1916 

5,516 

Sultanina 

Davis 

240 

7 

1917 

2,632 

Sultanina,  grafted 

Kearney 

32 

3 

1914 

4,172 

Sultanina,  grafted 

Kearney 

98 

3-4 

1915 

5,252 

Sultanina,  grafted 

Kearney 

82 

4-5 

1916 

8,366 

Sultanina,  grafted 

Kearney 

83 

5-6 

1917 

6,414 

Sultana 

Davis 

38 

3 

1914 

3,239 

Sultana 

Davis 

38 

4 

1915 

3,800 

Sultana 

Davis 

38 

5 

1916 

5,486 

Sultana 

Davis 

38 

6 

1917 

6,840 

Sultana,  grafted 

Davis 

75 

5 

1917 

4,838 

Sultana,  grafted 

Kearney 

56 

4 

1915 

8,026 

Sultana,  grafted 

Kearney 

82 

5 

1916 

8  792 

Sultana,  grafted 

Kearney 

67 

6 

1917 

7,563 

Black  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

5 

1914 

723 

Black  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

6 

1915 

0 

Black  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

7 

1916 

167 

Black  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

8 

1917 

158 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

48 

5 

1915 

308 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

48 

6 

1916 

1,153 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

48 

7 

1917 

1,608 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Kearney 

9 

5 

1916 

3,178 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Kearney 

9 

6 

1917 

2,301 

White  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

5 

1914 

1,245 

White  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

6 

1915 

827 

White  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

7 

1916 

2,727 

White  Corinth 

Davis 

38 

8 

1917 

1,733 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

24 

5 

1915 

192 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

24 

6 

1916 

2,968 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

24 

7 

1917 

1,251 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Kearney 

14 

5 

1916 

4,539 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Kearney 

17 

6 

1917 

1,817 

Average  Annual  Crop  of  Seedless  Raisins 

Numbei 

■of 

Pounds 

years 

per  acre 

Sultanina,  ungrafted 

Davis 

3 

3,549 

Sultanina,  grafted 

Kearney 

4 

6,051 

Sultana,  ungrafted 

Davis 

4 

4,839 

Sultana,  grafted 

Davis 

1 

4,838 

Sultana,  grafted 

Kearney 

3 

8.127 

Black  Corinth,  ungrafted 

Davis 

4 

262 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

3 

1,023 

Black  Corinth,  grafted 

Kearney 

2 

i 

2,740 

White  Corinth,  ungrafted, 

Davis 

4 

T''' 

1,633 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Davis 

3 

:35s 

1,471 

White  Corinth,  grafted 

Kearney 

2 

3,178 

STATION  PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE  FOR  FREE  DISTRIBUTION 


BULLETINS 

No.  No. 

230.    Penological  Investigations.  275. 

250.  The  Loquat. 

251.  Utilization  of  the  Nitrogen  and  Organic  276. 

Matter    in    Septic    and    Imhoff   Tank  277. 

Sludges.  278. 

252.  Deterioration   of  Lumber.  279. 

253.  Irrigation    and    Soil    Conditions   in   the  280. 

Sierra  Nevada  Foothills,  California. 

255.  The  Citricola  Scale.  281. 
257.   New  Dosage  Tables. 

261.  Melaxuma    of    the    Walnut,     "Juglans  282. 

regia." 

262.  Citrus   Diseases    of   Florida    and    Cuba  283. 

Compared   with  Those   of  California.  284. 

263.  Size  Grades  for  Ripe  Olives.  286. 

264.  The  Calibration  of  the  Leakage  Meter.  288. 

265.  Cottonv   Rot  of   Lemons   in   California. 

266.  A  Spotting  of  Citrus  Fruits  Due  to  the  290. 

Action  of  Oil  Liberated  from  the  Rind. 

267.  Experiments  with  Stocks  for  Citrus.  291. 

268.  Growing  and  Grafting  Olive  Seedlings. 

270.  A  Comparison  of  Annual  Cropping,  Bi-  292. 

ennial  Cropping,  and  Green  Manures 

on  the  Yield  of  Wheat.  293. 

271.  Feeding  Dairv  Calves  in  California.  294. 

272.  Commercial  Fertilizers.  295. 

273.  Preliminary  Report  on   Kearney  Vine-  296. 

yard  Experimental  Drain.  297. 

274.  The  Common  Honey  Bee  as  an  Agent  298. 

in  Prune  Pollination.  299. 


The  Cultivation  of  Belladonna  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

The  Pomegranate. 

Sudan  Grass. 

Grain   Sorghums. 

Irrigation  of  Rice  in  California. 

Irrigation  of  Alfalfa  in  the  Sacramento 
Valley. 

Control  of  the  Pocket  Gophers  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Trials  with  California  Silage  Crops  for 
Dairy  Cows. 

The  Olive  Insects  of  California. 

Irrigation  of  Alfalfa  in  Imperial  Valley. 

Commercial  Fertilizers. 

Potash  from  Tule  and  the  Fertilizer 
Value  of  Certain  Marsh   Plants. 

The  June  Drop  of  Washington  Navel 
Oranges. 

The  Common  Honey  Bee  as  an  Agent 
in  Prune  Pollination.      (2nd  report.) 

Green  Manure  Crops  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Sweet  Sorghums  for  Forage. 

Bean  Culture  in  California. 

Fire  Protection  for  Grain  Fields. 

Topping  and  Pinching  Vines. 

The   Almond   in    California. 

The  Seedless  Raisin  Grapes. 

The  Use  of  Lumber  on  California 
Farms. 


No. 
113. 
114. 
115. 
124. 
126. 
127. 
128. 
129. 
131. 
133. 
135. 
136. 
137. 
138. 
139. 


140. 


142. 

143. 

144. 
147. 
148. 
150. 
151. 
152. 

153. 

154. 

155. 
156. 
157. 
158. 
160. 
161. 
162. 

164. 


CIRCULARS 


No. 
165. 


Correspondence  Courses  in  Agriculture. 

Increasing  the  Duty  of  Water. 

Grafting  Vinifera  Vinevards.  166. 

Alfalfa    Silage  for   Fattening   Steers.  167. 

Spraying  for  the   Grape   Leaf   Hopper.  168. 

House  Fumigation. 

Insecticide  Formulas.  169. 

The  Control  of  Citrus   Insects.  170. 

Spraving  for  Control  of  Walnut  Aphis. 

Countv  Farm  Adviser.  172. 

Official  Tests  of  Dairy  Cows.  174. 

Melilotus  Indica.  175. 

Wood  Decay  in   Orchard  Trees. 

The  Silo  in   California  Agriculture.  176. 

The    Generation    of   Hydrocyanic    Acid 

Gas  in   Fumigation   by  Portable   Ma-  177. 

chines.  179. 
The  Practical  Application  of  Improved 

Methods  of   Fermentation   in   Califor-  181. 

nia  Wineries  during  1913  and  1914. 

Practical  and  Inexpensive  Poultry  Ap-  182. 

pliances. 

Control    of    Grasshoppers    in    Imperial  183. 

Valley.  184. 

Oidium  or  Powderv  Mildew  of  the  Vine.  185. 
Tomato  Growing  in  California. 

"Lungworms."  186. 

Round  Worms  in   Poultry.  187. 

Feeding  and  Management  of  Hogs.  188. 

Some  Observations  on  the  Bulk  Hand-  189. 

ling  of   Grain   in   California.  191. 

Announcement  of  the  California   State  192. 

Dairv  Cow  Competition,   1916-18.  193. 

Irrigation    Practice   in   Growing   Small  196. 

Fruits  in  California.  197. 
Bovine  Tuberculosis. 

How  to  Operate  an  Incubator.  198. 

Control  of  the  Pear  Scab.  199. 

Home  and  Farm  Canning.  200. 
Lettuce  Growing  in  California. 

Potatoes  in  California.  201. 

White    Diarrhoea    and    Coccidiosis    of  202. 

Chicks. 

Small  Fruit  Culture  in  California.  203. 

204. 


Fundamentals    of    Sugar    Beets    under 

California    Conditions. 
The  County  Farm   Bureau. 
Feeding   Stuffs  of  Minor   Importance. 
Spraying  for  the  Control  of  Wild  Morn- 

ing-Glorv  within  the  Fog  Belt. 
The   1918  Grain  Crop. 
Fertilizing     California     Soils     for     the 

1918  Crop. 
Wheat  Culture. 
Farm  Drainage  Methods. 
Progress  Report  on  the  Marketing  and 

Distribution   of   Milk. 
Hog      Cholera      Prevention      and     the 

Serum  Treatment. 
Grain   Sorghums. 
Factors    of    Importance    in    Producing 

Milk  of  Low  Bacterial  Count. 
Control     of     the     California     Ground 

Squirrel. 
Extending  the  Area  of  Irrigated  Wheat 

in  California  for  1918. 
Infectious  Abortion  in  Cows. 
A  Flock  of  Sheep  on  the  Farm. 
Beekeeping  for  the   Fruit-Grower   and 

Small  Rancher,  or  Amateur. 
Poultrv  on  the  Farm. 
Utilizing  the  Sorghums. 
Lambing  Sheds. 
Winter  Forage  Crops. 
Pruning  the  Seedless  Grapes. 
Cotton  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley. 
A  Studv  of  Farm  Labor  in  California. 
Dairy  Calves  for  Veal. 
Suggestions    for    Increasing    Egg   Pro- 
duction in  a  Time  of  High-Feed  Prices. 
Syrup  from  Sweet  Sorghum. 
Onion  Growing  in  California. 
Growing  the   Fall   or   Second   Crop  of 

Potatoes  in  California. 
Helpful  Hints  to  Hog  Raisers. 
County    Organization    for    Rural    Fire 

Control. 
Peat  as  a  Manure  Substitute, 
Blackleg. 


